Traverse rods typically are designed to support a window covering (i.e., a curtain, drapes, a wall covering, a screen, blinds), and to facilitate the manipulation of the window covering across a span (e.g., drawing a curtain closed to cover a window). Such traverse rods may employ various design features principally intended to enhance their aesthetic appearance. Typically, these design features include a means of giving the traverse rod the appearance of a traditional curtain rod. Typical examples of these aesthetic design features include decorative members that substantially hide the traverse track (e.g., a fascia that looks like a rod when viewed from the front), decorative rings, decorative arcuate members (i.e., partial rings) and decorative finials.
To give the appearance of traditional curtain rings while allowing the window covering to be manipulated over substantially the entire span of the traverse rod (i.e., to avoid the rings being blocked by the mounting assembly of the traverse rod), it is known to employ decorative arcuate members (i.e., partial rings). Because they do not encircle the entire traverse rod, these decorative arcuate members can move past the intersection of the traverse rod and its mounting assembly (i.e., supports, mounting brackets).
It is desirable for these decorative arcuate members to mimic as closely as possible the appearance of traditional curtain rings. A disadvantage of existing traverse rods is that the manipulation of the window covering typically causes the decorative arcuate members to become positioned in a non-uniform manner (i.e, some decorative arcuate members partially rotated in one direction, others in another direction, and still others not rotated at all). This non-uniform appearance is typically not aesthetically desirable and inhibits efforts to give the appearance of a traditional curtain rod.
A further disadvantage of existing traverse rods is that the manipulation of the window covering means typically causes the decorative arcuate members to make contact with other decorative design features of the traverse rod (e.g., the decorative fascia). Over time, such contact can potentially affect the aesthetic appearance of the decorative arcuate members and/or the other decorative design features (e.g., by scratching the wood fascia).
Accordingly, there exists a need for a traverse rod assembly with decorative arcuate members that can maintain a substantially uniform appearance and that can substantially avoid contact with other decorative features of the traverse rod assembly.